1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens loading apparatus for loading a printing lens in a photographic printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A printer-processor is referred to as a so-called mini laboratory and placed in a developing, printing and enlargement (DPE) shop or the like. In the printer-processor, an exposure unit for subjecting images recorded on a negative film to exposure and a processor unit for subjecting an exposed photographic paper to development are combined into a single unit. By simply setting an elongated photographic paper in place, the elongated photographic paper can be automatically conveyed to the exposure unit and the processor unit and processed thereat. In the exposure unit of the printer-processor, the images recorded on the negative film are enlarged to predetermined sizes and printed on photographic paper. The photographic paper on which the images of the negative film have been printed, is continuously conveyed to the processor unit where they are subjected to development so as to be finished as photographic prints.
With the spread of photographic cameras and the diversification of image processing, there is a demand for enlarging a part of an image frame of a negative film to a desired size and then printing the same. A lens employed in the exposure unit of the printer-processor is required to not only print each image of the negative film on photographic paper to a given size, but to have a zooming function as well.
Therefore, a printer-processor is known which is provided, as the lens of the exposure unit, with, for example, a fixed focus lens for printing an image of a negative film on photographic paper in a given size and a zoom lens for enlarging a part of an image of a negative film and printing the same on photographic paper. One of these lenses may be selected as needed for enlarging the image of the negative film to a desired size so as to print it on the photographic paper.
A lens loading/unloading apparatus for loading a lens into an exposure unit of a printer-processor has been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 1-130108, for example. In this lens loading/unloading apparatus, rollers are provided on both sides as seen in a lens insertion direction in a state in which a rotatable shaft has been inclined at a predetermined angle. Further, a lens is provided with a substantially-flattened holding member having a surface inclined at a predetermined angle in opposing relationship to a plurality of respective rollers. When the lens is loaded into a lens deck, the holding member is guided toward a predetermined position by the respective rollers disposed in facing relationship to the inclined surface thereof. Further, the lens is supported on the lens deck by these rollers together with the holding member.
It is however difficult to accurately place the rollers in facing relationship to the inclined surface of the holding member. When the lens is loaded into the lens deck, the lens is apt to shake or jolt. The lens, which has been loaded into the lens deck, is simply supported and held by these rollers which have been held in abutment against the inclined surface of the holding member. It is therefore difficult to reliably fix and hold the lens in a given position. Thus, the lens is jolted and becomes unfocused, so that a blurred image is often printed on the photographic paper.